Dialing in Espresso
A good shot relies on the resistance provided by the coffee puck. Mastering this means understanding the relationship between the burrs of your grinder and the pressure of your machine.
Consistency is your primary tool
Use a scale that measures to the tenth of a gram. Small shifts in dose or grind size translate to massive changes in the cup.
- espresso machine
- burr grinder
- digital scale
- tamper
- timer
What goes in.
- 18gfreshly roasted coffee beans
The Grind Adjustment
Always purge two grams of coffee after changing your grind setting to clear the old particle size from the burrs. Make one adjustment at a time, moving only a few microns finer or coarser.
The method.
Weigh the dose
Place your portafilter on the scale and tare it. Grind exactly 18 grams of coffee into the basket.
Level and tamp
Distribute the grounds so the surface is perfectly flat. Apply firm, level pressure with the tamper until you feel the puck stop compressing.
Pull the shot
Lock the portafilter into the group head and start your pump and timer simultaneously. Place your cup on the scale beneath the spouts.
Monitor the yield
Stop the shot once the scale hits 36 grams. Note the time it took. If it finished under 25 seconds, your grind is too coarse; if over 30, it is too fine.
Adjust
If the shot ran too fast, tighten your grind. If it choked or ran too slow, loosen it. Repeat until you hit the 36-gram mark within your target time window.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep your beans in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.
A dirty shower screen will ruin the flow; wipe the group head after every shot.
If the coffee is freshly roasted, you may need to wait a few days for the carbon dioxide to off-gas, or the shot will spray.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shot sour?
The shot was under-extracted. You likely need a finer grind or a slightly higher water temperature.
Does my tamper pressure matter?
Less than you think. As long as the bed is level and fully compressed, the grind size does the heavy lifting.
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